James Virgil Merritt

Lt. Colonel James Virgil Merritt (8/16/1923 – 08/11/2014), better known to his friends and family as "Joe," was a dedicated and loving husband to his wife Rachael (1926-2007) and father to his three children: Lisa, Steve and Stacey (1956-1989). Joe was born and raised in rural Ozark, Alabama during the depression era and became head of the debate team, was elected class president, and graduated top of his class at Ozark High School. At seventeen, Joe joined the Air Force and at the young age of nineteen became an officer and a fighter pilot.

During his military career he completed his undergraduate degree and also obtained a Master's in Business Administration from George Washington University. Part of his military tenure was spent as a flight instructor for the infamous Tuskegee Airmen in Tuskegee, Alabama where he met his wife, Rachael. While fighting in the Korean War, Joe became a member of the elite Mosquito Squadron and later helped host their 1995 annual association meeting in Colorado Springs. Joe was also responsible for the authorship and publication of the USAF T-6 basic training manual in 1952 used by military student aviators worldwide. Over the course of his incredible twenty-seven years in the Air Force as a bush, test and fighter pilot, Joe was stationed at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska; Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas; the Pentagon in Washington DC; Eglin Air force Base in Florida; in Naha, Okinawa; and in Torrance, California where he retired in 1969 as Contracting Officer for Strategic Air Command (SAC).

After Joe retired from the military he was recruited by Lockheed Martin in Denver, Colorado where he headed up the Contracts department for seventeen years. In 1985, Joe retired to enjoy the good life in Denver where he and his wife entertained friends and family, danced, enjoyed the outdoors, gambled at local casinos, and traveled within the United States and Canada in their camper trailer. Not forgetting Joe's "Merritt Original Secret Steak Sauce" which he made and shared with all his friends and family.

Joe will be sorely missed by all, especially his granddaughter Kaylen and two surviving children, Lisa and Steve. He will be remembered best as one of the most helpful, intelligent, hardworking, and upstanding men ever to be placed on this Earth. For the time that we were given with him, we feel blessed and honored. We learned an incredible amount about life through his teachings, stories and experiences.

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